Autism

April 18, 2025 - Yesterday’s comments from HHS Secretary Kennedy are deeply disappointing, profoundly damaging, and unacceptable. The suggestion that autism is a “preventable” condition, particularly...

Zach's Milestone: The “Yes I Can Award” The journey to the CEC “Yes I Can Award” is one marked by resilience, advocacy, and incredible personal growth. Today, we spotlight Zach Laviola, a 2024 Yes I...

Girls with Autism, Social Anxiety, and the Relationship to Eating Disorders as Restrictive, Repetitive Behaviors Doris Hill The ratio of boys to girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses has...

I joined CEC in 1994. At that time, the Peel District School Board had a thriving chapter of CEC. Little did I know the profound influence that membership would have on my academic and professional development. There were two particular aspects of membership that particularly affected me: conferences and the publications.

Tracey’s motto is “Every student can learn, it just takes YOU to show them.” Tracey is dedicated to developing her students’ literacy and writing skills to independence through digital technology, tools, and a variety interactive, creative student-centered apps. She advocates for students (and teachers) through support, collaboration, modeling, and teaching using available technology to ease the burden of tasks within her district and throughout the state. Tracey has earned many awards including the Arizona CEC Teacher of the Year and has received numerous grants to support her students. Her motto: Every student can learn, it just takes YOU to show them.

Tim McCammon is a teacher that champions all students and whose leadership is renowned throughout his school district. As well as being a Special Education Resource Teacher in an Autism Spectrum Disorder classroom, he is a leader and developer of an after-school skills development program.

Ms. Ramirez is a self-contained teacher in an autism classroom in New Jersey at C. Richard Applegate School. She has extensive experience in the Kindergarten through 2nd grades, but this September Elizabeth will loop into the 3rd through the 5th-grade population. She is excited to work with older students and testing. Her undergraduate was double majoring in psychology and sociology and minored in women’s studies. Quantitative methods and Social Sciences was her master's area of study and came to education from the field of market research.

This Alcisha’s 7th year in a self-contained functional classroom where her students complete extensions of the common core standards. In Winston Salem, NC, she is a proud grizzly bear at Gibson Elementary school. Her bachelor's degree is from Winston Salem, with a focus on Rehabilitation studies. In addition, she holds two master's degrees, one in rehabilitation counseling from Winston Salem State and her second master’s degree from North Carolina A&T in Special Education.

In her 28th in education, Cathy Wojcik has taught in various early childhood special education settings (ECSE), including Self-Contained ECSE, Reverse Inclusion ECSE, Inclusive PreK, and Itinerant/Community Based. She also served on the Evaluation Team for PreK and is currently an ECSE Autism teacher. Cathy holds a BS in Special Education from Penn State University and M.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education.

Marissa Kase is currently in her 6th year of teaching in a self-contained autism unit. She has taught children with autism in grades 1 through 5 and she absolutely loves it. Every moment in her classroom is an adventure and she lives for all of the small victories that her and her students have each and every day. Being a special education teacher has completely changed the way Marissa looks at things and has allowed her so many opportunities. She is currently the president of her local CEC chapter as well as conference coordinator for Florida CEC. She is so thankful for the amazing opportunities and mentors that CEC has provided her with.